Brendan Phillips Pledges Transparency and Accountability

03.15.18 Stansbury Park, Utah - Brendan Phillips, a resident of Tooele County, Utah, has announced his candidacy for Toole County Commission Seat A. A graduate of Brighton High School and grandson of legendary folk singer and labor activist Utah Phillips, Phillips currently serves on the Tooele county Historic Preservation Commission.

For Immediate Release:
March 15, 2018

Contact:
Brendan Phillips, [email protected], (801)833-5832

Phillips plans to serve the constituents of Tooele County by focusing on these issues:

Open Door Policy for Transparency and Accountability

Phillips feels that the Tooele County Commissioners office has a history and holding the desires of commercial developers over those of its residents. "My door will always be open to my constituents. Any decisions I make will be at the will of our residents, and not just our developers. I will strive for greater transparency and accountability from our Commissioner's office."

Maintaining Rural Tooele While Providing Economic Growth

Phillips wants to represent the desire of Tooele residents in maintaining the small town rural feel of Tooele County. "While we have a great need for more economic growth and jobs in Tooele County, we must balance bringing in new economic growth and jobs, while maintaining the peace and quiet Tooele County offers now."

Providing An Alternate Route to Salt Lake City

Phillips points to statistics that show that up to 60% of Tooele residents commute to Salt Lake City for work. "Commuters often see multi-hour delays when trying to get to and from work, due to back ups at freeway junctions. The residents of Tooele County need an alternate route to get to Salt Lake City, as well as reliable public transit."

Protecting Tooele County's Ecosystems

"Tooele County is known by some as 'America's Dumping Ground for Hazardous Waste'. This is not a title our community should seek to hold." Phillips points out that Tooele county is currently home to five superfund sites, multiple open-air incinerators, and takes in waste from five different counties. "Repeatedly our desert and county has been used to bury waste. It is imperative we put an end to these sort of projects, and that we protect the very delicate natural systems we have. We must also hold our industry accountable for its devastation of our land, and hold them to a higher standard of ecological stewardship."

Keeping Your Money In Your Pocket

Phillips believes that wages are too low and taxes too high in Tooele County, compromising access to community services. "Our residents work hard for their money, and they don't make enough of it." Phillips feels that this is partially due to the mismanagement of funds by the Commissioner's office, and decisions they have made in the past. "We must do away with frivolous spending, bureaucratic waste, and increasing taxes."

Indigenous Sovereignty

Phillips feel that all decisions made by the County effecting ancestral tribal lands should be made with the advice and consultation of the tribes. Tooele County is the ancestral homeland of the Goshute Tribe for thousands of years, and home to two Goshute Reservations. "It is very important that the County respects and recognizes the authority of the tribes, and their sacred homeland, as well as stand by the tribes in upholding them. We must strive to protect and cherish the historic archaeological remains within these lands."

Phillips is a Co-Chair of the Green Party of the United States Young Greens and serves as the Northwest Regional Coordinator to the GPUS Ballot Access Committee. Phillips was instrumental in the effort to secure the ballot line in Utah for 2016 Green Party Presidential Candidate Dr. Jill Stein and subsequently the ballot access for the Green Party of Utah. He currently resides in Stansbury Park with his wife and is the stay-at-home father of their two children.

Phillips is a member of the Green Party of Utah and plans to run under the Green Party Platform. He is expecting to gain official candidate status at the April 21 Green Party Convention.